Virtual teams are hard to get right. If you want to effectively lead and manage one, start by assembling the right team. You won't get anywhere without hiring and developing people suited to virtual teamwork, putting them into the right-sized groups, and dividing the labor appropriately. When building a team, conduct behavioral interviews and personality tests to screen for qualities like good communication skills, high emotional intelligence, an ability to work independently, strong resilience to recover from snafus, and sensitivity to other cultures. If you inherit a team, use the same tools to assess people's strengths and weaknesses, and then train them in the skills they're lacking. The most effective virtual teams typically have fewer than 10 people, so keep it small. If a project is too complex and requires more people, divide everyone into subteams that can focus on a narrower goal.
Adapted from “
Getting Virtual Teams Right” by Keith Ferrazzi.
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